Amusement device.



No. 855,132. 'PAT ENTED MAY 28, 1907.

F. PULMAN & W. I. LEATHERLAND.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED no v. a, 1906.

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PATENTED MAY 28,1907. RLAND.

v F. PULMAN 817W. I. LEATHE AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. a,1906.

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6 SHEET SH APPLI -No.'855, 132.' v PATENTBD MAY-28.1907; F. PULMANzW. I.LBATHBRLAND.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5 AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV 8 1906 THE NORRIS PETERS cm, wnsnmnron. n. c.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

FRED PULMAN AND WALTER I. LEATHERLAND, OF ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA.

,'AIVlUS-EMENT DEVICE.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 28, 1907.

Application filed November 8, 1906. Serial No. 342,559-

I WALTER I. LEATHERLAND, citizens of the United States, residing atAlexandria, in the county of Alexandria and State of Vir 'nia, haveinvented certain new and usefu Improvements in Amusement Devices, ofwhich the following is a specification. I

Our invention relates to amusement devices and'particularly to anapparatus-of the Ferris wheel type, having a rotation of the passengercarrying wheel on its own horizontal axis and also a movement around thevertical axis of a platform on which the wheel and its support aremounted and the object of the invention is to provide in such anapparatus, a strong construction of rotating platform adapted to readilycarry a high tower on which the carrier wheel is mounted and to providemeans whereby the carrier wheel and the platform may be driven by aminimum expenditure of power and by simple mechanism, and generally toimprove the construction of the parts of such a device.

To these ends our invention is set forth in the device hereinafterdescribed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the apparatus;Fig. 2, a plan view of the driving mechanism and platform showing thefloor of the platform removed; Fig. 3, a detail elevation partly insection showing the driving mechanism; Fig. 4 a plan view of the centralbearing pedestal and head; Fig. 5 a vertical section through head andpedestal; Fig. 6, a detail elevation of the wheel axle journal; Fig. 7,a section of said part; Fig. 8 a view in elevation of a modified form ofdevice showing a cable in place of the rack for driving the wheel.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a tower of the usual form employed as asupport for Ferris wheels. This tower carries a rotatable wheel 2 onwhich are pivotally hung passenger carriers 3.

The tower is rigidly mounted on a rotatable platform 4, adapted to turnon avertical axis. This platform comprises a floor 5 from which thepassengers may enter the cars and long heavy beams 6 set on edge andextending from the center out to the circumference of the platform.These beams are firmly secured to a central, rotatable metal head 7,between shoulders 8 formed on said head. This capstan is mounted on acast ratus.

ron pedestal 9, adapted to rest on the ground and forming the mainsupport for the appaprovided with a ball bearing 11, and on this ballbearing and on the series of balls 12,

The pedestal has a central brown 10,

mounted in a shoulder-13, of the pedestal, the

head 7 is supported and thereby enabledjto rotate freelyand withoutfriction, on said pedestal. I

In the outer edge of the pedestal are formed slots or recesses 14, withwhich engage posts or stakes 15, driven firmly into the ground andproviding simple but effective .Ineans of insuring againstany twistingor radial movement of the pedestal.

, A short distance beyond the circumference-of the pedestal, each beamis provided with a roller 16, journaled in a hanger 17 and bearing on acircular track 18, which is supported and maintained in position bysleepers 19, resting on the ground and extending radially from thepedestal. Near their outer ends, the beams are also provided withbearing rollers 20, journaled in hangers 21, and

adapted to run on a track 22, also secured to said sleepers. Circularstringers 23, 24, surrounding said tracks 18 and 22, respectively, serveto tie said sleepers rigidly in place. Extending between the stringers24, and an intermediate circular stringer 25, are braces 26, and betweena stringer 27, adjacent to the stringer 25, and the inner stringers 23,are braces 28.

Between the stringers 25, 27, is mounted a fixed rack plate or coggedtrack 29. On this cog track is adapted to travel a cog wheel 30,journaled in the frame of the platform and adapted to carry around theplatform in a rotary movement when the cog. is forced to traverse thetrack.

The main u rights 31 of the tower 1, are mounted on the platformdirectly over the inner row of supporting rollers 16, and the weight ofthe tower is thus sup orted centrally, at the strongest point of tlieplatform structure, and since the said rollers 16 and the other rollers20, together with the pedestal head, are adapted to receive the weightof the platform, the driving cog and its track are relieved of pressureand undue friction.

It will be seen that the arrangement of the central head, rigid basepedestal receiving the head and the long rigid beams extending from thehead and provided with supporting rollers, dispenses with the necessityfor a cen- -32 in the platform and projects above the platform. Itmeshes with a driving gear wheel 33, fixed on a shaft 34, which carriesa driving pulley 35, adapted to be connected to any suitable source ofmotive power, preferably consisting of an engine or motor mounted on theplatform. At its inner end the shaft 34 is provided with a gear wheel36,

meshing with a large circular rack 36, fixed on the passenger carryingwheel, whereby said wheel is adaptedto be driven on its own axis. Thisform of driving mechanism for the Ferris wheel, affords a longleverageand requires the expenditure of a minimum amount of power to drive thewheel. It also facilitates the use of a driving means common to both thewheel and the platform which is a distinctive idea in these devices thatemploy a high tower and large central Ferris wheel.

Controlling the gear wheel 30 is a shifting arm 37, connected to anoperating lever 38,

engaging toothed bar 39, and the wheel 30 is so mounted as to be capableof movement longitudinally of its shaft whereby u on actuation of thelever 38, the cog whee 30, may be thrown out of engagement with the cogtrack 29, when it is not desired to rotate the platform but merely thewheel alone.

The particular construction and arrangement of the driving mechanism andthe driven parts, as shown and described, with the large rack extendingdown so as to engage the cog wheel mounted on the platform and theplatform also carrying on the same shaft the gear whereby the saidplatform may be rotated, provide a mechanism of a simple and effectivecharacter whereby a single engine or motor and driving mechanism commonto both the platform and wheel may be employed.

The horizontal axle of the Ferris wheel is mounted in ball-bearingjournals 40, which are preferably mounted removably on the uprights ofthe tower 1, and are held in position by means of plates 41, hinged tothe journal bed 42 of the tower.

In Fig. 8, a modified form of driving means for operating the wheel isillustrated. In this form, the carrying wheel 43, has a large pulley 44mounted on its axle and over this ulley runs a cable 45, which is drivenby pu ley 46 on shaft 47, which is provided with a driving pulley andplatform rotating gear similar to that shown in the previously describedarrangemnt. The cable may be used instead of the rack and is designed asa cheaper substitute for the rack, to be employed when considereddesirable and when conditions warrant such substitution.

The operation of the device is obvious and need not be again described,aml such. operation will result in carrying the pivoted passengercarriers around with the wheel between the uprights of the tower andcarrying the wheel, tower and platform around the vertical axis of theplatform on the pedestal and roller tracks.

It is clear that various changes in the de tails of the device hereinillustrated and described, may be made without departing from theprinciple of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In an amusement device, in combination with a rotating platform, atower thereon, a single central rotating wheel hung on said tower, andcommon means for rotating both said platform and said wheel, substantially as described.

2. In an amusement device, in combination with a single rotating wheel,a rotating platform on which said wheel is centrally mounted, a suitablesource of driving power, a driving shaft, said shaft having at one endmeans for driving the platform and at the other end means for drivingthe wheel, substantially as described.

3. In an amusement device, in combination with a rotatable platform, atower centrally mounted thereon, a rotatable passenger carrying wheeljournaled in the upper end of said tower, a suitable source of motivepower, a cog wheel mounted on the platform, a fixed cog track with whichsaid cog wheel engages, means for driving said carrierwheel, and commonmechanism intermediate the source of ower and the said wheel drivingmeans an cog wheel, substantially as described.

4. In an amusement device, in combination with a rotatable platform, arotatable passenger carrying wheel centrally mounted thereon, said wheelhaving a circular rack, a cog wheel on said platform engaging said.rack, a fixed cog track, a cog wheel on said platform engaging saidtrack, and common means for driving said cog wheels, substantially asdescribed.

5. In an amusement device, in combination with a rotatable platform, afixed cog track beneath said platform, a cog wheel engaging said trackand mounted on said latform whereby the rotation of said platform iseffected by the traverse of the cog wheel on the track, apassenger-carrying wheel mounted on said platform and having a circularrack, a driving shaft mounted on said platform, a driving pulley thereonconnected to a suitable source of motive power, a gear wheel on saidshaft engaging said platform rotating cog wheel and a gear wheel thereonengaging said rack, substantially as described.

6. In an amusement device, in'combination with a rotating passengercarrying wheel, a rotating platform on which the wheelis mounted,,a cogtrack", a co wheel on the platform engaging said trac said passengercarrying wheelprovided .with

means wherebyit may be 'driven, common motive means for said cog Wheeland passenger wheel driving'means and a; shiftmg-lde I vice. forthrowing saidfcog wheel-out ofen gagement with said cog track,substantially as described; 1 7. In an amusement devlce, 111 combinationwith a rotatablepa'ssenger carrying wheel, a tower in which said wheelis'cen-f trallyhung, a, rotatablelplatform on which said tower iscentrally mounted, said platform having a central "head fixedtheretoover which the passenger wheel moves, a'ndfa .fixedpedestal on which thehead is'rotatably mounted, substantially as. described.

8. In an amusement device, in combination with 'a rotatable passengercarrying wheel a rotatable platform onrwhichgsaid wheel is mounted, saidplatform having fixed thereto, a central head, a pedestal on which thehead is mounted, anti-friction bearings between said head and edestal, aframe extending from said hea rollers mounted onsaid frame and tracks onwhich said rollers move, substantially as described.

9. In an amusement device, in combina tion with a rotatable platform, a,rotatable passenger carrying wheel centrally mounted thereon, saidlatform' having a central head, and having radial beams extending from.said head, a pedestal on which said passenger wheel carried 'thereb formhaving a central head, radial; beams set. on edge extendingfro'rn saidhead,a,fixed head is rotatably supported, and rolling bearingssupporting the outer parts of said beams, substantially as described.

10L Inan' amusement device, in combination with a rotatable platform, a;rotatable said platpedestal resting on the ground, and sup ortin saidhead, radial sleepers extending 0m if:

v I 1 sleepers, and rollers carried by said platsa d pedestal, "tracksmounted on said form beams and bearing on said tracks, sub-.; 7

' 11: In an amusement tion with "a-rota'tabjle passenger. carrying acog-track below saidplatform, a cog wheel ,on said platform engagingsaid track whereby the platform is rotated, an inner and an outer"series of rollers on said beams and fixed tracks on which they move,said rollers and head adapted to receive the weight of said platforlnand thus prevent undue pressure on the platform driving cog wheel,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of,

two subscribing witnesses.

FRED PULMAN. WALTER I. 'LEATHERLAND.

Witnesses: v I

Jos. BLACKWOOD, M. EMORY JONES, Jr.

